This invention relates to vehicle suspension systems, and particularly to suspensions for two-wheeled vehicles including bicycles and motorcycles.
Bicycles and motorcycles were originally built with rigid frames. As the horsepower, weight and speed of motorcycles increased, both front and rear wheel suspensions were developed for them. These motorcycle suspension systems have now reached very high levels of function and sophistication, but in many cases have become extremely complex, expensive and heavy, with many linkages, mounts, bearings, and so on.
Recently, use of off-road bicycles has tremendously expanded, likewise stimulating the development of many front and rear suspensions. To date, most of these new bicycle suspensions have been closely fashioned after motorcycle-style systems. The specific needs of bicycles are different, however. One paramount difference is the necessity for the suspension system to be as light as possible. Because of the speeds at which motorcycles are driven and the power of their engines, the mass of the various components is in a different realm than that of the bicycle. The very best rigid bicycle frames currently available weigh under 3 pounds, which is less than most motorcycle shock absorbers weigh by themselves. Therefore, adding a shock absorber, plus mounting brackets and hardware, becomes a very significant problem on a bicycle.
This invention relates to improvements to the structure set forth above, and to solutions to some of the problems raised or not solved thereby.